Why Is “Sannyāsa” Written with a Dot? The Meaning Behind the Word

Question

Sister, I have one or two very short questions—can I ask?
— Yes, of course.

It’s a very small question, just about one word: the word “sannyāsī” or “sannyāsa.”
In your book, and in other books too, I’ve seen it written in two ways—sometimes with a dot (bindī) on the “n”, and sometimes with half “n” (san or sam). So, which is correct? Should both be written?

Answer

Both parts actually belong to one combined word.
“Sa” comes from the prefix sam, and “nyāsa” means placing down or renunciation.
So, sam + nyāsa = sannyāsa.

The prefix sam means completely or perfectly—so the word means complete renunciation.

Question

Oh, so when we say it, should we pronounce it lightly—like san-nyāsī, not sam-nyāsī?

Answer

Yes, exactly. When we speak, that small difference isn’t heard clearly, but in writing, we place a dot (bindī) over the “sa” because it comes from the prefix sam.
“Nyāsa” is a separate root word.

So in writing, the correct form is with the dot on the sa (संन्यास)—but in speech, it becomes san-nyāsī, because of sandhi (the rule of phonetic joining).

Question

I see—I was just wondering if writing it both ways might be wrong. Because it feels like there’s a half “m” and a half “n” sound—so which one is right?

Answer

Yes, due to sandhi rules, the half “m” sound turns into a half “n”.
If the prefix “sam” is written separately, you pronounce the full m sound. But when joined with “nyāsa,” that m changes into n, and we get sannyāsa.

So in pronunciation, it’s “sannyāsī,” not “samnyāsī.”